Rethink Your Drink, Choose Water

Let's Not Sugar-coat It!

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are beverages with added sugar. These drinks include soda pop, juice/fruit drinks, sweetened teas/coffees, flavored waters, chocolate milk, and sports and energy drinks. Consumption of SSBs can lead to tooth decay and other health issues in both children and adults. In fact, drinking soda pop nearly doubles the risk of cavities in children.1

Further, the sugar in SSBs feeds the bacteria that produces acid in your mouth, which attacks and dissolves tooth enamel. It’s also important to know that despite having more nutrients and containing only natural (not added) sugar, 100 percent fruit juice typically contains as much sugar and calories as soda pop. So, when you or your children are thirsty, reach for a cold glass of water instead of a sugar-sweetened beverage!

How Much Added Sugar is Too Much?

Here are the recommended daily limits:4

Newborns and Infants: 0 tsp. (0g)

Toddlers and Preschoolers: 4 tsp. (16g)

Children Ages 4–8: 3 tsp. (12g)

Pre-teens and Teenagers: 5–8 tsp. (20-32g)

Adult Women: 6 tsp. (24g)

Adult Men: 9 tsp. (36g)

Did You Know?

Four grams of sugar is equal to one teaspoon.

A typical 20-ounce soda pop or juice/fruit drink contains 15–18 teaspoons of sugar—as much as in three candy bars!

Drinking one 12-ounce soda pop each day increases a child’s chances of becoming obese by 60 percent.2

People who drink one or two cans of soda pop a day have a 26 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.3

Sip Tips

Reduce the number and portion size of SSBs—drink only once in a while, 8 ounces or less.

Freeze 100 percent fruit juice in an ice cube tray, and then add one frozen cube to a glass of water.

Add a splash of 100 percent fruit juice to plain water.

Add zest to your water with fresh fruit slices such as lemon or lime.

Stock the fridge with a jug of cold water and bottled water for those on the go.

Brush with fluoride toothpaste twice a day for two minutes each time, and floss once a day.

Please note: Numbers are approximate. All of these numbers are guidelines and based on averages and not tailored to individual health needs. Please contact your physician for guidance about how consumption of added sugar may affect you, particularly if you or a family member have any pre-existing health conditions. Read label for the most current nutrition facts, as forumulations and sizes may change.

To download the Spanish version of the Rethink Your Drink brochure, click here.